DNA coding for mammalian L-asparaginase

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a DNA coding for mammalian L-asparaginase. Transformants introduced with the DNA effectively produce desired amounts of mammalian L-asparaginase such as those from humans, guinea pigs, and mice. The DNA is also useful as a probe for screening a DNA coding for desired mammalian L-asparaginase.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of parent application Ser. No. 09/008,481, filed Jan. 16, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,151 which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/598,369, filed Feb. 8, 1996, now abandoned, the entire contents of both prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a novel DNA which codes for L-asparaginase, and more particularly, to a DNA which codes for mammalian L-asparaginase.

2. Description of the Prior Art

L-Asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1), an amidohydrolase which releases L-aspartic acid and ammonia when it acts on L-asparagine, is an enzyme which plays a major role in the metabolism of L-asparagine in plants, animals and microorganisms, and it has been energetically studied on its actual use as an antitumor agent since John G. Kidd had reported the inhibitory activity of L-asparaginase on lymphoma in “The Journal of Experimental Medicine”, Vol.98, pp.565-583 (1953). As a result, an L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli is now used as a therapeutic agent for leukemia and lymphoma.

However, the aforesaid L-asparaginase with a satisfactory antitumor activity is only an external protein for humans, and the administration of conventional compositions containing the L-asparaginase to patients frequently causes serious side effects such as hyperergy including anaphylaxis shock, urticaria, edema, wheeze and dyspnea. Therefore, these compositions are inevitably restricted in their administration doses and frequencies-by a large margin, and some proposals to reduce or even diminish such side effects have been made.

As a first proposal, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.119,082/79 discloses an L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli which is chemically modified by blocking at least 65% of the amino acids of the L-asparaginase with 2-O-substituted polyethylene glycol-4,6-dichloro-S-triazine. As a second proposal, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.320,684/92 discloses a human L-asparaginase which is obtained from a culture of fibroblasts from human lung, stomach or breast. The first proposal has the advantage that it can use an L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli which is readily preparable on an industrial scale, and has the disadvantage that the control of the modification reaction is difficult and the side effects could not be eliminated. The second proposal has the advantage that, unlike the L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli, human L-asparaginase does not substantially induce antibodies even when administered to patients, and has the disadvantage that the productivity of human fibroblasts is not sufficient as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.320,684/92, so that a relatively large-scale cultivation is inevitable to obtain a satisfactory amount of L-asparaginase.

Recently, recombinant DNA technology has made remarkable progress. Now, even a polypeptide with an incomplete elucidation of its amino acid sequence can be readily prepared in a desired amount, if only a gene coding for the polypeptide is once isolated and decoded for its nucleotide sequence, by preparing a recombinant DNA having a DNA which codes for the polypeptide, introducing the DNA into microorganisms or cells of animals or plants to obtain transformants, and then culturing the transformants.

In view of the foregoing, a gene coding for a mammalian L-asparaginase, preferably, the isolation of a gene coding for human L-asparaginase and the prompt elucidation of its base sequence have been in great demand in this field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a DNA coding for mammalian L-asparaginase, and the present inventors attained this object by isolating a DNA coding for mammalian L-asparaginase, which is characterized in that it contains nucleotide sequences for either or both amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2, as well as in that it is hybridizable with any or all of DNAs with respective nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOs:3 to 5.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a peptide map of guinea pig L-asparaginase.

FIG. 2 shows homology between partial amino acid sequences of human and mouse L-asparaginases.

FIG. 3 shows homology between partial amino acid sequences of human and guinea pig L-asparaginases.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The DNA according to the present invention expresses the production of mammalian L-asparaginase having a specific amino acid sequence by introducing it into cells or microorganisms to form transformants.

This invention was made based on the finding of a novel DNA which codes for guinea pig L-asparaginase. Although the existence of L-asparaginase in the sera of guinea pigs has been known, the property and feature have not been substantially revealed.

The present inventors isolated a substance with L-asparaginase activity from a guinea pig serum by using purification methods comprising column chromatography as a main technique, and determined its partial amino acid sequences. Based on the sequences, primers were chemically synthesized and subjected to RT-PCR reaction using as a template a mRNA, collected from liver cells of the guinea pig, to obtain a DNA fragment which partially codes for guinea pig L-asparaginase. The present inventors used the fragment as a probe and energetically screened cDNA libraries prepared from the mRNA to obtain a DNA containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3 consisting of 1,695 base pairs. The decoding of the nucleotide sequence revealed that the guinea pig L-asparaginase consists of 565 amino acids and has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6.

With these findings, the present inventors continued studying mRNAs collected from human liver cells and have succeeded in isolating a DNA which codes for human L-asparaginas. The DNA contains the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 which consists of 1,719 base pairs, and the decoding revealed that the DNA encodes the amino acids sequence consisting of 573 amino acids as seen in SEQ ID NO:7.

The present inventors further continued studying mRNAs collected from mouse liver cells based on the above findings and have succeeded in isolating a DNA fragment which partially codes for mouse L-asparaginase. The DNA fragment contains the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:5 which consists of 324 base pairs, and the decoding revealed that the DNA fragment encodes the amino acid sequence consisting of 108 amino acids as seen in SEQ ID NO:8.

The techniques used to reveal these amino acid sequences and nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOs:3-8 are summarized below:

(1) An L-asparaginase was isolated from a guinea pig serum and highly purified by purification methods comprising chromatography as a main technique;

(2) The L-asparaginase was trypsinized, and from the resulting mixture were isolated three peptide fragments which were then determined for amino acid sequence;

(3) A mRNA was collected from the guinea pig liver cells. By using the mRNA as a template, it was subjected to RT-PCR reaction in the presence of primers which had been chemically synthesized based on the above amino acid sequences to generate DNA fragments, which was then screened by a probe that had been chemically synthesized based on those amino acid sequences. Thus, a DNA fragment, which partially encodes the guinea pig L-asparaginase, was obtained;

(4) After labeling the DNA fragment, it was hybridized with a cDNA library, prepared by using the above mRNA as a template, followed by selecting transformants which showed a strong hybridization;

(5) From the transformants a cDNA was collected, determined for its nucleotide sequence, and decoded for its amino acid sequence. Comparison of the decoded amino acid sequence to the above partial amino acid sequences revealed that the guinea pig L-asparaginase has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6 and is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3;

(6) A cDNA library was prepared by using mRNA collected from human liver cells, and a DNA fragment having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3 was prepared, then labeled and hybridized with the cDNA library, followed by selecting transformants which showed a strong hybridization; and

(7) From the transformants a cDNA was collected, determined for its nucleotide sequence, and decoded for amino acid sequence, revealing that human L-asparaginase has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7 and is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.

(8) A mRNA was collected from mouse liver cells. The mRNA as a template was subjected to RT-PCP reaction in the presence of primers which had been chemically synthesized based on the base sequence coding for human L-asparaginase, determined above, to generate DNA fragments, which were then screened by a labelled probe containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, coding for human L-asparaginase. Thus, a DNA fragment, which partially encodes mouse L-asparaginase, was obtained; and

(9) The DNA fragment was determined for its nucleotide sequence, and decoded for its amino acid sequence, revealing that mouse L-asparaginase contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8 and is encoded by a DNA containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:5.

Comparing the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:6 to 8 revealed that they share either or both amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2. The partial sequences of amino acids 16-19 and 114-118 in SEQ ID NO:6 correspond to SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2, respectively. The partial sequences of amino acids 16-19 and 114-118 in SEQ ID NO:6 correspond to SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2, respectively. The partial sequence of amino acids 26-30 in SEQ ID NO:8 corresponds to SEQ ID NO:2. In addition, the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:6 to 8 were proved to be highly homologous one another. Between the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:6 and 7, about 70% homology is observed, and the homology between the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8 and the partial sequence of amino acids 89-196 in SEQ ID NO:6 or 7 is about 75% or 89%, respectively. Thus the wording “mammalian L-asparaginase” as referred to in the present invention shall mean those which have an amino acid sequence containing either or both amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2 and bearing a significantly high homology, usually 70% or higher, to any or all of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:6 to 8. As representative examples, guinea pig L-asparaginase containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6, human L-asparaginase containing that of SEQ ID NO:7, mouse L-asparaginase containing that of SEQ ID NO:8, and their homologues can be mentioned. The homologues include those which contain a homologous amino acid sequence to SEQ ID NO:6, 7, or 8 in which one or more amino acids are replaced with different ones or deleted, and those which contain another homologous amino acid sequence to SEQ ID NO:6, 7 or 8 to which one or more different amino acids are added, while retaining the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or 2, a significantly high homology to SEQ ID NO:6, 7, or 8, and the inherent activity without being substantially reduced.

Examples of DNAs coding for the mammalian L-asparaginase as mentioned above are those which contain one of the nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOs:3, 4, 5, 9 and 10 and their complementary sequences. In these nucleotides sequences, one or more nucleotides can be replaced with different ones based on the degeneracy of the genetic codes while the amino acid sequences encoded thereby are conserved. To allow the DNAs to actually express in hosts, one or more nucleotides in the nucleotide sequences of the DNAs, which code for the mammalian L-asparaginase as referred to in the present invention, can also be suitably replaced with different ones. In general, respective DNAs coding for highly homologous amino acid sequences, as mentioned above, can remarkably hybridize to one another. Accordingly, the DNA of the present invention, coding for mammalian L-asparaginase, can be characterized in that it is hybridzable with any or all of DNAs with respective nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOs:3 to 5 as well as in that it contains nucleotide sequences for either or both amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2.

Any natural or artificial preparation of DNAs can be used as the present DNA as far as it contain any one of the nucleotide sequences as mentioned above. The natural sources for the present DNA are, for example, livers of humans, guinea pigs and mice. From these liver cells, the DNA of the present invention containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, 4, 5, 9 or 10 can be obtained. The present DNA can be also obtained from livers of mammals other than the above by screening based on the hybridization with DNAs containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, 4, 5, 9 or 10. To artificially synthesize the present DNA, it can be chemically synthesized based on the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, 4, 5, 9 or 10, or prepared by inserting DNA coding for the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6, 7 or 8 into self-replicable vectors to obtain recombinant DNAs, introducing the recombinant DNAs into appropriate hosts to obtain transformants, culturing the transformants, separating the proliferated cells from the cultures, and collecting from the cells the objective plasmids containing the present DNA.

The present DNA thus obtained can be introduced to obtain transformants by conventional methods. The transformants thus obtained produce mammalian L-asparaginase intra- or extra-cellularly when cultured. Unlike conventional L-asparaginase produced from Escherichia coli mammalian L-asparaginase has the advantage that it does not substantially cause side effects such as anaphylaxis shock and hyperergy even when repeatedly to patients repeatdly. The mammalian L-asparaginase can be, therefore, selectively used alone or in combination with other drugs to treat acute leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and mammalian malignant tumors in general including malignant tumors.

The present invention is explained with reference to the following Examples, and the techniques used therein are well known in the art: Examples of such are those described in “Molecular Cloning A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Edition” by T. Maniatis et al., published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, USA (1989), and in “Laboratory Manual for Genetic Engineering” by Masami MURAMATSU, published by Maruzen Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan (1988).

EXAMPLE 1

Purification of Guinea Pig L-asparaginase

From one hundred 8-week-old guinea pigs, the blood was collected, pooled, and treated in a conventional manner to obtain 300 ml of serum. Ammonium sulfate was added to the serum to give a saturation degree of 50 w/v%, allowed to stand at 4° C. for 2 hours, and centrifuged at about 8,000 rpm for 30 min. The precipitate was collected, dissolved in 10 mN phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), and dialyzed against a fresh preparation of the same buffer at 4° C. for 18 hours. The dialyzed inner solution was fed to a column packed with 300 ml of “SEPHACRYL S-300”, a gel for gel filtration column chromatography commercialized by Pharmacia LKB Biotechnology AB, Uppsala, Sweden, which had been equilibrated with a fresh preparation of the same buffer, followed by feeding to the column a fresh preparation of the same buffer.

Fractions corresponding to a molecular weight of about 150,000 daltons were collected, pooled, and fed to a column packed with “DEAE-5PW”, a gel for high-performance liquid chromatography commercialized by Tosoh Corporation Tokyo, Japan, which had been equilibrated with 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), followed by washing the column with a fresh preparation of the same buffer and feeding to the column at a flow rate of 13 ml/min a linear gradient buffer of sodium chloride increasing from 0 M to 1 M in 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). About 120 ml fractions eluted at a concentration of about 0.25 M of sodium chloride were collected, pooled and dialyzed against distilled water at 4° C. for 4 hours. The dialyzed inner solution was fed to a column packed with 100 ml “BLUE SEPHAROSE CL-6B”, a gel for affinity chromatography commercialized by Pharmacia LKB Biotechnology AB, Uppsala, Sweden, followed by feeding to the column with a fresh preparation of the same buffer to elute guinea pig L-asparaginase.

Fractions containing the L-asparaginase were collected, pooled and concentrated, and the concentrate was fed to a column packed with “HILOARD SUPERDEX 200”, a gel for gel filtration chromatography commercialized by Pharmacia LKB Biotechnology AB, Uppsala, Sweden, followed by feeding to the column with a fresh preparation of the same buffer. Fractions corresponding to a molecular weight of about 150,000 daltons were collected, pooled and concentrated to obtain about 400 μg of the guinea pig L-asparaginase with a specific activity of about 10 units/mg protein per guinea pig.

Throughout the present specification, the activity of L-asparaginase is assayed as follows and expressed with units: Distribute a sample to a 96-well microplate in a volume of 160 μl/well, and add to each well a 40 μl solution containing 1.4 mg/ml of L-asparagine dissolved in 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). Incubate the microplate at 37° C. for 10-30 min and quantify the released L-aspartic acid by an amino acid analyzer. Provide a system using an L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli which had been diluted to give a concentration of 1.0, 0.5 or 0.25 units/ml, and similarly as above treat the system and quantify the released L-aspartic acid. Plot the measurements to draw a working line. To estimate the activity of the sample, plot the L-aspartic acid content in the sample system. One unit activity of L-asparaginase is defined as the amount of a polypeptide having an L-asparaginase activity that releases one μmol ammonia from L-asparagine per min when allowed to react under the above conditions.

EXAMPLE 2

Partial Amino Acid Sequence of Guinea Pig L-asparaginase

A portion of the aqueous solution containing the purified L-asparaginase in Example 1 was placed in a container and concentrated to give about 50 μl of concentrate. To the concentrate was added 25 μl of a mixture solution consisting of 3 w/v% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 60 w/v% glycerol and 60 mg/ml dithiothreitol, and the resulting solution was incubated at 50 C for 30 min, transferred onto 10 w/v% polyacrylamide gels, and electrophoresed in a conventional manner. The resulting gels were successively soaked for staining in 50 v/v% aqueous methanol containing 0.1 w/v% Coomassie Brilliant Blue R250 and 10 v/v% acetic acid, destained by washing repeatedly with 12 v/v% aqueous methanol containing 7 v/v M acetic acid, and soaked in distilled water for 18 hours, followed by cutting out and lyophilizing the stained gel bands.

The dried gel bands were soaked in a 0.6 ml mixture solution consisting of 2 μg/ml “TPCK TRYPSIN”, a trypsin preparation commercialized by Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 0.5 mM calcium chloride and an aqueous solution of 0.02 v/v% TWEEN 20, and incubated at 37° C. for 18 hours to trypsinize the L-asparaginase. The trypsinized product was centrifuged and separated to obtain a supernatant and a precipitate which was then soaked in one ml of one v/v% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid solution containing 0.001 v/v% TWEEN 20, stirred at ambient temperature for 4 hours, and centrifuged to obtain a supernatant. The resulting precipitate was successively treated similarly as above with a 70 v/v% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid solution containing 0.001 v/v% TWEEN 20, and an acetonitrile solution containing 0.001 v/v% TWEEN 20 and 50 v/v% trifluoroacetic acid to obtain a supernatant which was then mixed with the above supernatant. The mixed solution was concentrated up to give 250 μl which was then centrifugally filtered.

The aqueous solution containing the peptide fragments thus obtained was fed to a column of “HPLC ODS-120T”, a gel for high-performance liquid column chromatography commercialized by Tosoh Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. The column was washed with 0.1 v/v% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid solution and fed with a linear gradient buffer of aqueous acetonitrile increasing from 0 v/v% to 70 v/v% in 0.1 v/v% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid solution at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. Fractions eluted at about 66 min, about 69 min and about 72 min after starting the feeding (hereinafter designated as “peptide fragment A”, “peptide fragment B” and “peptide fragment C”, respectively) were collected. The elution pattern, i.e, a peptide map of the guinea pig's L-asparaginase, is shown in FIG. 1.

By using “MODEL 473A”, a protein sequencer commercialized by Perkin-Elmer Corp., Norwalk, USA, these peptide fragments A, B and C were studied in a conventional manner, is revealed that they have the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:11 to 13.

EXAMPLE 3

Total Amino Acid Sequence of Guinea Pig L-asparaginase and Base Sequence Coding For it

Example 3-1

Preparation of Total RNAs

Three g of wet cells of a guinea pig liver, prepared in a conventional manner, was weighed, suspended in 20 ml of a 6 M aqueous guanidine isothiocyanate solution containing 10 mM sodium citrate (pH 7.0) and 0.5 w/v% SDS, and disrupted by a homogenizer. Into a 35-ml centrifuge tube was injected 25 ml of a mixture solution of 5.7 M cesium chloride and 0.1 M EDTA (pH 7.5), and the disrupted cells were overlaid on the solution, followed by centrifuging the tube at 25,000 rpm and at 20° C. for 20 hours. A fraction containing RNAs was collected from the tube, transferred to another 15-ml centrifuge tube, mixed with an equal amount of chloroform/butanol (=4:1 by volume), stirred for 5 min, and centrifuged at 10,000 g×10 min and at 4° C. The resulting water layer was collected, mixed with 2.5-fold volumes of ethanol, and allowed to stand at −20° C. for 2 hours to precipitate the total RNAs. The precipitated RNAs were washed with 75 v/v% ethanol and dried to obtain the total RNAs in a yield of about 4 mg.

Example 3-2

Preparation of DNA Fragment Partially Coding For Guinea Pig L-asparaginase

To one μg of the total RNAs prepared in Example 3-1 were added 4 μl of 25 mM magnesium chloride, 2 μl of 10×PCR buffer consisting of 100 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.3) and 500 mM potassium chloride, 8 μl of one mM dNTP mix, one μl of one unit/μl of an RNase inhibitor, one μl of 2.5 units/μl of a reverse transcriptase, one μl of 2.5 μM of a random hexamer, and a volume of sterile distilled water sufficient to bring the total volume to 20 μl. The mixture solution was placed into a 0.5-ml test tube and in a conventional manner successively incubated at 25° C. for 10 min, at 42° C. for 30 min, at 99° C. for 5 min, and at 5° C. for 5 min to conduct an enzymatic reverse transcriptase reaction. Thus, an aqueous solution containing a first strand cDNA was obtained.

Twenty μl of the aqueous solution was mixed with 4 μl of 25 mM magnesium chloride, 8 μl of 10×PCR buffer consisting of 100 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.3) and 500 mM potassium chloride, 0.5 μl of 2.5 units/ml amplitaq DNA polymerase, one μmol of primer 1 as a sense primer, one μmol of a primer 2 as an antisense primer, and a volume of sterile distilled water sufficient to bring the total volume to 100 μl. The mixture solution was in a conventional manner successively allowed to react at 94° C. for one min, at 42° C. for 2 min, and at 72° C. for 3 min, and these sequential reaction steps were repeated 40 times to amplify a DNA fragment, which partially encodes the guinea pig L-asparaginase, by using the first strand cDNA as a template. The primers 1 and 2 are oligonucleotides, which were chemically synthesized based on the amino acid sequences of Gly-Met-Gln-Ser-Lys (amino acids 12-16 in SEQ ID NO:12) and Tyr-Pro-Gly-Ile-Pro-Ala (amino acids 2-7 in SEQ ID NO:11), and have nucleotide sequences represented by 5′-GGNATGCARWSNAAR-3 (SEQ ID NO:15) and 5′-GCNGGDATNCCNGGRTA-3 (SEQ ID NO:16), respectively.

The PCR reaction product thus obtained was sampled and analyzed by conventional Southern hybridization method as follows. The sample was electrophoresed in a 2 w/v% agarose gel to effect fractionation, followed by press-blotting the gel with 0.4 N sodium hydroxide to transfer and fix DNAs onto a nylon film. The film was successively washed with 2×SSC, air-dried, soaked in a mixed solution for prehybridization containing 5×SSPE, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5 w/v% SDS and 100 μg/ml of a denatured salmon sperm DNA, and incubated in the solution at 65° C. for 3 hours. An oligonucleotide as probe 1, having a nucleotide sequence represented by 5′-TTYATGYTNGARAAYYT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:17), was chemically synthesized based on the amino acid sequence of Phe-Met-Leu-Glu-Asn-Leu (amino acids 2-7 in SEQ ID NO:13), and labelled with [γ-³²P]ATP and T4 polynucleotide kinase. The above nylon film was successively soaked in a mixed solution containing one μmol of the probe 1, 5×SSPE, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5 W/v% SDS, and 100 μg/ml of a denatured salmon sperm DNA, incubated at 42° C. for 24 hours to effect hybridization, washed with 6×SSC at ambient temperature, and autoradiographed in a conventional manner, revealing that the formed PCR product contained the objective DNA fragment.

The remaining PCR product was admixed with 50 ng “pT7 BLUE T”, a plasmid vector commercialized by Novachem Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel, and an adequate amount of T4 DNA ligase, admixed with 100 mM ATP up to give a final concentration of one mM, and incubated at 16° C. for 18 hours to insert the above DNA fragment into the plasmid vector. The recombinant DNA thus obtained was introduced into “NoVa Blue strain”, a microorganism of the species Escherichia coli commercialized by Novachem Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel, to obtain a transformant which was then inoculated into a plate medium containing 10 g/l bacto-tryptone, 5 g/l bacto-yeast extract, 2.5 g/l sodium chloride, 15 g/l bacto-agar, 100 mg/l ampicillin, 40 mg/l X-Gal and 23.8 mg/l isopropyl-p-D-thiogalactopyranoside (hereinafter abbreviated as “IPTG”), and incubated at 37° C. for 24 hours to form colonies. According to conventional colony hybridization method, a nylon film was placed on the surface of the plate medium, allowed to stand for about 30 sec to transfer the colonies onto the film, then the film was detached from the plate medium and soaked in a mixed solution containing 0.5 M sodium hydroxide and 1.5 M sodium chloride for 7 min to lyse the cells. Thereafter, the nylon film was successively soaked in 0.5 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.2) containing 1.5 M sodium chloride for 3 min, washed with 2×SSC, soaked in 0.4 M sodium hydroxide for 20 min, washed with 5×SSC, air-dried, soaked in a mixed solution for prehybridization containing 5×SSPE, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5 w/v SDS and 100 μg/ml of a denatured salmon sperm DNA, and incubated at 42° C. for 24 hours. The probe 1 was hybridized with the nylon film in a conventional manner, and the resultant was washed with 6×SSC and autoradiographed similarly as above, followed by collecting from the plate medium a transformant which strongly hybridized with probe 1.

The transformant was inoculated into L-broth (pH 7.2) containing 100 μg/ml ampicillin and cultured at 37° C. for 18 hours, followed by collecting cells from the culture and collecting the a recombinant DNA by conventional alkali-SDS method. The dideoxy method revealed that the recombinant DNA contained a DNA fragment of a nucleotide sequence corresponding to bases 61-746 in SEQ ID NO:3.

Example 3-3

Preparation of mRNA

0.05 ml of an aqueous solution containing 500 μg of the total RNAs in Example 3-1 was placed in a container, into which was poured 0.5 ml of 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5) containing one mM EDTA and 0.1 w/v% SDS up to give a total volume of one ml. To the mixture solution was added one ml of “OLIGOTEX-dT300 SUPER”, an oligo(dT)₃₀ latex commercialized by Nippon Roche K.K., Tokyo, Japan, and the resulting mixture was incubated at 65° C. for 5 min to denature the contents and promptly cooled in an ice-chilled bath for 3 min. 0.2 ml of 5 M sodium chloride was added to the cooled solution, and the resulting solution was incubated at 37° C. for 10 min and centrifuged at 10,000 rpm and at 25° C. for 10 min, followed by removing a supernatant to obtain a pellet-like precipitate, suspending the precipitate in 0.5 ml sterile distilled water, incubating the suspension at 65° C. for 5 min to extract the objective mRNA from the “OLIGOTEX-dT300 SUPER”. The yield of the mRNA was about 5 μg.

Example 3-4

Preparation of cDNA Library

By using “cDNA SYNTHESIZING SYSTEM PLUS”, a cDNA cloning kit commercialized by Amersham Corp., Div., Amersham International, Arlington Heights, USA, a cDNA library was prepared from the mRNA in Example 3-3. Into a 1.5-ml reaction tube were successively poured a 4 μl solution for synthesizing a first strand, one μl sodium pyrophosphate, one μl human placenta ribonuclease inhibitor, 2 μl dideoxynucleotide triphosphate mixture, and one μl oligo dT primer, then mixed with 5 μl of the mRNA prepared in Example 3-3 and a volume of sterile distilled water sufficient to bring the total volume to 19 μl. To the resulting solution was added one μl of a solution containing 20 units of a reverse transcriptase, followed by incubation at 42° C. for 40 min to obtain a reaction mixture containing a first strand cDNA.

The reaction mixture was successively admixed with a 37.5 μl solution for synthesizing a second strand cDNA, 0.8 units of ribonuclease H from Escherichia coli, and 23 units of DNA polymerase I, increased its volume up to 100 μl by the addition of sterile distilled water, incubated at 12° C. for 60 min and at 22° C. for 60 min, admixed with 2 units T4 DNA polymerase, and further incubated at 37° C. for 10 min to obtain a solution containing the objective second strand cDNA. To the solution thus obtained was added 4 μl of 0.25 M EDTA (pH 8.0) to suspend the reaction, followed by extracting with phenol/chloroform, precipitating the objective cDNA with ethanol, and then collecting the cDNA.

Two μl L/K buffer, 250 μmol Eco RI adapter and 2.5 units of T4 DNA ligase were added to the above cDNA in the order, presented and the volume of the mixed solution was increased up to 20 μl with sterile distilled water, and incubated at 15° C. for 16 hours to ligate the Eco RI adaptor to both ends of the cDNA. The reaction mixture was mixed with 2 μl of 0.25 M EDTA (pH 8.0) to inactivate the remaining enzymes, and the intact Eco RI adaptor was removed in a conventional manner by molecular sieve chromatography. To the resultant were added 40 μl L/K buffer and 80 units of T4 polynucleotide kinase, and the volume of the mixture was increased up to 400 μl with sterile distilled water, followed by incubating the mixture solution at 37° C. for 30 min to phosphorylate the 5′-terminus of Eco RI adaptor, and precipitating the reaction mixture with phenol/chloroform and ethanol to obtain a DNA. The DNA was mixed with 1.5 μl L/K buffer containing an adequate amount of λgt10 arm and with 2.5 units of T4 DNA ligase, increased to a volume of 15 μl with sterile distilled water, incubated at 15° C. for 16 hours, and treated with conventional in vitro packaging method to obtain a phage containing a recombinant λDNA.

Example 3-5

Cloning of Recombinant DNA

Escherichia coli NM514 strain, commercialized by Amersham Corp., Div., Amersham International, Arlington Heights, USA, was in a conventional manner infected with the phage in Example 3-4, inoculated into an agar plate (pH 7.0) containing 10 g/l bacto-tryptone, 5 g/l bacto-yeast extract, 10 g/l sodium chloride, and 15 g/l bacto-agar, and incubated at 37° C. for 10 hours to form plaques. A nylon film was placed on the surface of the agar plate and allowed to stand for about 30 sec to transfer the plaques onto the film, then detached from the plate, and successively and repeatedly soaked in an aqueous solution containing 0.5 M sodium hydroxide and 1.5 M sodium chloride for 7 min and in 0.5 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.0) containing 1.5 M sodium chloride for 3 min. The nylon film was successively rinsed with 5×SSC, air-dried, soaked in 0.4 N sodium hydroxide for 20 min, rinsed with 2×SSC, air-dried, soaked in a mixed solution containing 5×SSPE, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5 w/v% SDS and 100 μg/ml of a denatured salmon sperm DNA, and incubated at 65° C. for 3 hours. The DNA fragment in Example 3-2 was labeled with ³²P using “REDIPRIME DNA LABELLING SYSTEM” Amersham Corp., Div., Amersham International, Arlington Heights, USA, to obtain a probe 2, and an adequate amount of which was hybridized at 65° C. for 20 hours by incubating in a mixed solution containing 5×SSPE, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5 w/v% SDS and 100 μg/ml of a denatured salmon sperm DNA. The nylon film was successively soaked in and rinsed with 2×SSC at 65° C. for 20 min and 0.2×SSC at 65° C. for 20 min, and subjected to autoradiography, followed by selecting a phage DNA clone which strongly hybridized with the probe 2.

The clone was amplified in Escherichia coli, and a recombinant DNA was extracted from the microorganism. The recombinant DNA was cleaved by Eco RI, a restriction enzyme, and plasmid vector pUCl9 (ATCC 37254) was cleaved with the same restriction enzyme. The formed DNA- and plasmid-fragments were in a conventional manner ligated with a DNA ligase to obtain a recombinant DNA which was then introduced into Escherichia coli JM109 strain (ATCC 53323) by conventional competent cell method to obtain a transformant.

Example 3-6

Determination of Nucleotide Sequence of DNA and Amino Acid Sequence of Protein

The transformant in Example 3-5 was inoculated into L-broth (pH 7.2) containing 50 μg/ml ampicillin and cultured at 37° C. for 18 hours under shaking conditions. From the culture the proliferated transformants were collected and treated with conventional alkali-SDS method to obtain a recombinant DNA containing the DNA according to the present invention. The recombinant DNA was analyzed on an automatic sequencer using a fluorophotometer and the results revealed that it contained the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:9, and the decoding of its predicted amino acid sequence indicated that it encodes the amino acid sequence. The amino acid sequence has the partial amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:12 or 11 in its partial amino acid sequence consisting of amino acids positioning at 10-25 or 243-253. This indicates that the DNA of SEQ ID NO:3 codes for guinea pig L-asparaginase containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6.

In Example 4, a cDNA coding for human L-asparaginase is collected from a mRNA from human liver by using the DNA of SEQ ID NO:3 as a probe. The total amino acid sequence of human L-asparaginase was determined by analyzing and decoding the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA.

EXAMPLE 4

Total Amino Acid Sequence of Human L-asparaginase and Nucleotide Sequence of DNA Which Codes For Human L-asparaginase

Example 4-1

Preparation of cDNA Library

By using ““cDNA SYNTHESIZING SYSTEM PLUS”, a cDNA cloning kit commercialized by Amersham Corp., Div., Amersham International, Arlington Heights, USA, a cDNA library was prepared from a poly (A) modified human liver RNA commercialized by Clontech Laboratories, Inc., California, USA. Into a 1.5-ml reaction tube were poured 10 μl of a first strand synthesizing solution, 2.5 μl of one mM sodium pyrophosphate, 2.5 μl of one μg/μl of a human placenta ribonuclease inhibitor, 5 μl of one μg/μl deoxynucleotide triphosphate mixture, and 2.5 μl of one μg/μl oligo dT primer, then mixed with 5 μg of a poly (A) modified human liver RNA. The volume of the mixture was increased to 45 μl with sterile distilled water, then mixed with a 5 μl solution containing 100 units of a reverse transcriptase, and incubated at 42° C. for 40 min to obtain a reaction product containing a first strand cDNA.

To the reaction product were added 93.5 μl of a cDNA synthesizing solution, 4 units of ribonuclease H from Escherichia coli, and 115 units of DNA polymerase I, and the volume of the was increased to 250 μl with sterile distilled water, then successively incubated at 12° C. for 60 min, at 22° C. for 60 min, and at 70° C. for 10 min, mixed with 10 units of T4 DNA polymerase, and further incubated at 37° C. for 10 min, followed by suspending the reaction with the addition of 100 μl of 0.25 M EDTA (pH 8.0). The reaction product was in a conventional manner extracted with phenol/chloroform, and the extract was precipitated with ethanol to obtain a second strand cDNA.

The second strand cDNA thus obtained was mixed with 2 μl L/K buffer (pH 8.0), 250 μmol Eco RI adaptor, and 2.5 units T4 DNA ligase, and the volume of the mixture was increased to 20 μl with sterile distilled water and incubated at 15° C. for 16 hours to ligate the Eco RI adaptor to both ends of the cDNA. The reaction was suspended by the addition of 2 μl of 0.25 M EDTA (pH 8.0). Intact Eco RI adaptor was removed from the reaction mixture by molecular sieve chromatography, and the remaining reaction mixture was mixed with 40 μl of L/K buffer (pH 8.0) and 80 units of T4 polynucleotide kinase, increased its volume to 400 μl with sterile distilled water, incubated at 37° C. for 30 min to phosphorylate the 5′-terminus of the Eco RI adaptor, and extracted with phenol/chloroform. The extract was precipitated with ethanol to collect cDNA which was then mixed with 1.5 μl of L/K buffer (pH 8.0) containing an adequate amount of Xgt 10 arm and 2.5 units of T4 DNA ligase, and the volume of the mixture was increased to 15 μl with sterile distilled water, incubated at 15° C. for 16 hours, and applied with the in vitro packaging to obtain a phage containing a recombinant λDNA.

Example 4-2

Cloning of Recombinant DNA

Escherichia coli NM514 strain was infected with the phage in Example 4-1, inoculated into an agar plate (pH 7.0) containing 10 g/l bacto-tryptone, 5 g/l bacto-yeast extract, 10 g/l sodium chloride and 15 g/l bacto-agar, and incubated at 37° C. for 10 hours to form plaques. A nylon film was placed on the surface of the agar plate, allowed to stand for about 30 sec to transfer the plaques onto the film, detached from the plate, and successively and repeatedly soaked in an aqueous solution containing 0.5 M sodium hydroxide and 1.5 M sodium chloride for 7 min, and 0.5 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.0) containing 1.5 M sodium chloride for 3 min. The film was rinsed with 2×SSC, air-dried, soaked in a mixed solution containing 5×SSPE, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5 w/v % SDS and 100 μg/ml of a denatured salmon sperm, and incubated at 65° C. for 3 hours.

To clone a recombinant DNA, probe 3 was prepared by labelling the DNA fragment of SEQ ID NO:3 with “REDIPRIME DNA LABELLING SYSTEM”: Twenty-five ng of a DNA fragment, obtained by the method in Example 3-5, was placed in a 1.5-ml reaction tube, mixed with sterile distilled water to obtain 45 μl solution which was then heated at 95° C. for 3 min, and transferred to another reaction tube. Five μl of [α-³²P]dCTP solution was added to the tube, and the DNA fragment was labelled by incubating at 37° C. for 30 min. The reaction mixture containing the labelled DNA fragment was treated with conventional molecular sieve chromatography to remove intact [α-³² μ]dCTP. Thus the probe 3 was obtained.

The nylon film was incubated at 50° C. for 20 hours in a mixed solution containing an adequate amount of the probe 3, 5×SSPE, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5 w/v% SDS, and 100 μg/ml of a denatured salmon sperm to hybridize the probe, then successively incubated in 6×SSC at ambient temperature for 20 min, incubated in 2×SSC at ambient temperature for 20 min, washed and autoradiographed, followed by selecting a phage clone which strongly hybridized with probe 3. The clone was in a conventional manner amplified in Escherichia coli, then a recombinant DNA was extracted from the microorganism. The recombinant DNA was cleaved with Eco RI, a restriction enzyme, and in a conventional manner ligated by a DNA ligase with the DNA fragment and a plasmid fragment, obtained by cleaving plasmid vector pUC19 (ATCC 37254) with the restriction enzyme. The recombinant DNA was introduced into Escherichia coli JM109 strain (ATCC 53323) by conventional competent cell method to obtain a transformant.

Example 4-3

Determination of Nucleotide Sequence of DNA Which Codes For Human L-Asparaginase, and Its Total Amino Acid Sequence

The transformant in Example 4-2 was inoculated into L-broth (pH 7.2) containing 50 μg/ml ampicillin and cultured at 37° C. for 18 hours under shaking conditions. From the culture the proliferated transformants were collected, treated with conventional alkali-SDS method to obtain the present recombinant DNA according to the present invention. The analysis of the recombinant DNA on an automatic sequencer using a fluorophotometer revealed that it has the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:10. An amino acid sequence estimable from the base sequence is along with SEQ ID NO:10, and this indicates that the DNA of SEQ ID NO:4 codes for human L-asparaginase containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:6 and 7 revealed that they have about 70% homology.

In Example 5, a cDNA partially coding for mouse L-asparaginase is collected after effecting RT-PCR reaction with a mRNA from mouse liver as a template in the presence of primers chemically synthesized based on the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4. By analyzing and decoding the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA, a partial amino acid sequence of mouse L-asparaginase is determined.

EXAMPLE 5

Partial Amino Acid Sequence of Mouse L-asparaginase and the Nucleotide Sequence Coding For it

Three g of fresh liver cells from 8-week-old CD-1 mice, prepared by a conventional method, were treated similarly as in Example 3-1 to obtain about 4 mg of a total RNA. One μg of the total RNA was treated similarly as in Example 3-2 to obtain 20 μl of an aqueous solution with a first strand cDNA. The aqueous solution was admixed with 4 μl of 25 mM magnesium chloride, 8 μl of 10×PCR buffer consisting of 100 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.3) and 500 mM potassium chloride, 0.5 μl of 2.5 units/μl amplitaq DNA polymerase, adequate amounts of primer 3 as a sense primer and primer 4 as an antisense primer, and a volume of sterile distilled water sufficient to bring the total volume to 100 μl: The primer 3 was an oligonucleotide chemically synthesized in usual manner, which had the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:18 that corresponds to a sequence of nucleotides 247-264 in SEQ ID NO:4, and the primer 4 was another oligonucleotide chemically synthesized in usual manner, which had the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:19 that is complementary to the sequence of nucleotide 589-606 in SEQ ID NO:4. The resulting mixture was subjected to 40 times of successive incubations at 94° C. for 1 min, 40° C. for 2 min, and 72° C. for 3 min, in the given order, to effect PCR reaction.

A sample of the PCR reaction product thus obtained was electrophoresed in 2 w/v% agarose gel in the usual manner to effect fractionation and analyzed by Southern hybridization method under the conditions according to those in Example 3-2 except for using probe 4 as a probe. Probe 4 was obtained by labelling a DNA fragment with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 for human L-asparaginase by similar procedure for preparing the probe 3 in Example 4-2, a temperature of 50° C. for hybridization, and 2×SSC following 6×SSC to wash a nylon film after hybridization. As a result, t he above PCR reaction product was confirmed to contain a DNA fragment of about 360 base pairs which strongly hybridize with the DNA having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.

Similarly as i n Example 3-2, another sample of the above PCR reaction product was inserted into “pT7 BLUE T”, a plasmid vector commercialized by Novachem Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel, to obtain recombinant DNAs, and the recombinant DNAS were introduced into “NoVa Blue strain”, a microorganism of the species Escherichia coli commercialized by Novachem Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel, to obtain transformants which were then cultured on a plate medium to form colonies. The colonies were transfered to nylon films and subjected to colony hybridization method under the conditions according to those in Example 3-2 except for using probe 4 as the probe, a temperature of 50° C. for hybridization, and 2×SSC following 6×SSC to wash the nylon film after hybridization. A transformant with which probe 4 strongly hybridized was collected and cultured in the usual manner in L-broth medium containing 100 μg/ml ampicillin, and a recombinant DNA was collected from the resulting culture by conventional alkali-SDS method. A sample of the recombinant DNA was analyzed by the dideoxy method, which revealed that the recombinant DNA contains the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:14 and codes for the amino acid sequence shown along with SEQ ID NO:14. SEQ ID NOs:5 and 8 show the nucleotide and the amino acid sequences of mouse, respectively, determined in t his Example.

Homology between the amino acid sequences of mouse, determined in this Example, and of human L-asparaginase, determined in Example 4-3, were studied in the usual manner. As shown in FIG. 2, the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8 of mouse was proved to bear about 89% homology to a partial amino acid sequence of human L-asparaginase, consisting of amino acids 89-196 in SEQ ID NO:7. For reference, FIG. 3 shows that the partial amino acid sequence of human L-asparaginase, consisting of amino acids 89-196 in SEQ ID NO:7, bears about 77% homology to a partial amino acid sequence of guinea pig L-asparaginase consisting of amino acids 89-196 in SEQ ID NO:6. These results mean that the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:8 is a partial amino acid sequence of mouse L-asparaginase and that the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:5 codes for the partial amino acid sequence. In addition, the results of the colony hybridization in this Example indicate that the DNA with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, coding for human L-asparaginase, did not hybridize with an Escherichia coli genomic DNA which contains a nucleotide sequence coding for Escherichia coli L-asparaginase.

The results of this Example and Examples 3 and 4 indicate that mammalian L-asparaginases share either or both amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2 and are highly homologous in their amino acid sequences, in particular, L-asparaginases of rodents such as guinea pigs and mice and of other mammals more closely related to humans usually contain an amino acid sequence bearing a 70% or higher homology to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7. Furthermore, these results indicate that respective DNAs coding for such mammalian L-asparaginases can strongly hybridize one another.

As it is described above, the present invention is based on the finding of a novel DNA coding for mammalian L asparaginase. The application of conventional recombinant DNA technology to the present DNA facilitates the production of a desired amount of mammalian L-asparaginase including a human L-asparaginase which could not have been readily obtained. In addition, the present invention is also based on the original findings that the DNAs coding for mammalian L-asparaginases respectively have specific nucleotide sequences, as well as that such DNAs are homologous, usualy 70% or higher, and can hybridize to one another. Accordingly, the DNA of the present invention has actual advantages that facilitate the attainment of not only a desired amount of mammalian L-asparaginase but also a DNA coding for L-asparaginase of a desired mammal by using as a probe the DNA of the present invention.

The present invention with these outstanding effects would greatly contribute to this filed.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood the various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

19 4 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide not provided 1 Thr Gly Gly Thr 1 5 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide not provided 2 His Gly Thr Asp Thr 1 5 1695 base pairs nucleic acid double linear cDNA not provided 3 ATGGCGCGCG CATCAGGCTC CGAGAGGCAC CTGCTGCTCA TCTACACTGG CGGCACTTTG 60 GGCATGCAGA GCAAGGGCGG GGTGCTCGTC CCCGGCCCAG GCCTGGTCAC TCTGCTGCGG 120 ACCCTGCCCA TGTTCCATGA CAAGGAGTTC GCCCAGGCCC AGGGCCTCCC TGACCATGCT 180 CTGGCGCTGC CCCCTGCCAG CCACGGCCCC AGGGTCCTCT ACACGGTGCT GGAGTGCCAG 240 CCCCTCTTGG ATTCCAGCGA CATGACCATC GATGATTGGA TTCGCATAGC CAAGATCATA 300 GAGAGGCACT ATGAGCAGTA CCAAGGCTTT GTGGTTATCC ACGGCACCGA CACCATGGCC 360 TTTGGGGCCT CCATGCTGTC CTTCATGCTG GAAAACCTGC ACAAACCAGT CATCCTCACT 420 GGCGCCCAGG TGCCAATCCG TGTGCTGTGG AATGACGCCC GGGAAAACCT GCTGGGGGCG 480 TTGCTTGTGG CCGGCCAATA CATCATCCCT GAGGTCTGCC TGTTTATGAA CAGTCAGCTG 540 TTTCGGGGAA ACCGGGTAAC CAAGGTGGAC TCCCAGAAGT TTGAGGCCTT CTGCTCCCCC 600 AATCTGTCCC CACTAGCCAC TGTGGGCGCG GATGTCACAA TTGCCTGGGA CCTGGTGCGC 660 AAGGTCAACT GGAAGGACCC GCTGGTGGTG CACAGCAACA TGGAGCACGA CGTGGCACTG 720 CTGCGCCTCT ACCCTGGCAT CCCGGCCTCC CTGGTCCGGG CATTCCTGCA GCCCCCGCTC 780 AAGGGCGTGG TCCTGGAGAC CTTCGGCTCT GGCAACGGGC CGAGCAAGCC CGACCTGCTG 840 CAGGAGTTGC GGGCCGCGGC CCAGCGCGGC CTCATCATGG TCAACTGCAG CCAGTGCCTG 900 CGGGGGTCTG TGACCCCGGG CTATGCCACG AGCTTGGCGG GCGCCAACAT CGTGTCCGGC 960 TTAGACATGA CCTCAGAGGC CGCGCTGGCT AAGCTGTCCT ACGTGTTGGG CCTGCCGGAG 1020 CTGAGCCTGG AGCGCAGGCA GGAGCTGCTG GCCAAGGATC TTCGCGGGGA AATGACACTG 1080 CCCACGGCAG ACCTGCACCA GTCCTCTCCG CCGGGCAGCA CACTGGGGCA AGGTGTCGCC 1140 CGGCTCTTTA GTCTGTTCGG TTGCCAGGAG GAAGATTCGG TGCAGGACGC CGTGATGCCC 1200 AGCCTGGCCC TGGCCTTGGC CCATGCTGGT GAACTCGAGG CTCTGCAGGC ACTTATGGAG 1260 CTGGGCAGTG ACCTGCGCCT AAAGGACTCT AATGGCCAAA CCCTGTTGCA TGTGGCTGCT 1320 CGGAATGGGC GTGATGGCGT GGTCACCATG CTGCTGCACA GAGGCATGGA TGTCAATGCC 1380 CGAGACCGAG ACGGCCTCAG CCCACTGCTG TTGGCTGTAC AGGGCAGGCA TCGGGAATGC 1440 ATCAGGCTGC TGCGGAAGGC TGGGGCCTGC CTGTCCCCCC AGGACCTGAA GGATGCAGGG 1500 ACCGAGCTGT GCAGGCTGGC ATCCAGGGCT GACATGGAAG GCCTGCAGGC ATGGGGGCAG 1560 GCTGGGGCCG ACCTGCAGCA GCCGGGCTAT GATGGGCGCA GCGCTCTGTG TGTCGCAGAA 1620 GCAGCCGGGA ACCAGGAGGT GCTGGCCCTT CTGCGGAACC TGGCACTTGT AGGCCCGGAA 1680 GTGCCGCCTG CCATC 1695 1719 base pairs nucleic acid double linear cDNA not provided 4 ATGGCGCGCG CGGTGGGGCC CGAGCGGAGG CTGCTGGCCG TCTACACCGG CGGCACCATT 60 GGCATGCGGA GTGAGCTCGG CGTGCTTGTG CCCGGGACGG GCCTGGCTGC CATCCTGAGG 120 ACACTGCCCA TGTTCCATGA CGAGGAGCAC GCCCGAGCCC GCGGCCTCTC TGAGGACACC 180 CTGGTGCTAC CCCCGGACAG CCGCAACCAG AGGATCCTCT ACACCGTGCT GGAGTGCCAG 240 CCCCTCTTCG ACTCCAGTGA CATGACCATC GCTGAGTGGG TTCGCGTTGC CCAGACCATC 300 AAGAGGCACT ACGAGCAGTA CCACGGCTTT GTGGTCATCC ACGGCACCGA CACCATGGCC 360 TTTGCTGCCT CGATGCTGTC CTTCATGCTG GAGAACCTGC AGAAGACTGT CATCCTCACT 420 GGGGCCCAGG TGCCCATCCA TGCCCTGTGG AGCGACGGCC GTGAGAACCT GCTGGGGGCA 480 CTGCTCATGG CTGGCCAGTA TGTGATCCCA GAGGTCTGCC TTTTCTTCCA GAATCAGCTG 540 TTTCGGGGCA ACCGGGCAAC CAAGGTAGAC GCTCGGAGGT TCGCAGCTTT CTGCTCCCCG 600 AACCTGCTGC CTCTGGCCAC AGTGGGTGCT GACATCACAA TCAACAGGGA GCTGGTGCGG 660 AAGGTGGACG GGAAGGCTGG GCTGGTGGTG CACAGCAGCA TGGAGCAGGA CGTGGGCCTG 720 CTGCGCCTCT ACCCTGGGAT CCCTGCCGCC CTGGTTCGGG CCTTCTTGCA GCCTCCCCTG 780 AAGGGCGTGG TCATGGAGAC CTTCGGTTCA GGGAACGGAC CCACCAAGCC CGACCTGCTG 840 CAGGAGCTGC GGGTGGCCAC CGAGCGCGGC CTGGTCATCG TCAACTGTAC CCACTGCCTC 900 CAGGGGGCTG TGACCACAGA CTATGCAGCT GGCATGGCCA TGGCGGGAGC CGGCGTCATC 960 TCAGGCTTCG ACATGACATC GGAGGCCGCC CTGGCCAAGC TATCGTATGT GCTGGGCCAG 1020 CCAGGGCTGA GCCTGGATGT CAGGAAGGAG CTGCTGACCA AGGACCTTCG GGGGGAGATG 1080 ACGCCACCCT CGGTGGAAGA GCGCCGGCCC TCACTGCAGG GCAACACGCT GGGCGGTGGG 1140 GTCTCCTGGC TCCTCAGTCT GAGCGGCAGC CAGGAGGCAG ATGCCCTGCG GAATGCCCTG 1200 GTGCCCAGCC TGGCCTGTGC TGCTGCCCAC GCCGGTGACG TGGAGGCGCT GCAGGCGCTT 1260 GTGGAGCTGG GCAGTGACCT GGGCCTGGTG GACTTTAACG GCCAAACCCC ACTGCACGCG 1320 GCCGCCCGGG GAGGCCACAC AGAGGCAGTC ACCATGCTGC TGCAGAGAGG TGTGGACGTG 1380 AACACCCGGG ACACGGATGG CTTCAGCCCG CTGCTGCTGG CCGTGCGGGG CAGGCATCCG 1440 GGTGTCATTG GGTTGCTGCG GGAAGCCGGG GCCTCCCTGT CCACCCAGGA GCTGGAGGAA 1500 GCAGGGACGG AGCTGTGCAG GCTGGCATAC AGGGCCGACC TCGAAGGCCT GCAGGTGTGG 1560 TGGCAGGCAG GGGCTGACCT GGGGCAGCCG GGCTATGACG GGCACAGCGC CCTGCACGTC 1620 GCAGAGGCAG CCGGGAACCT GGCAGTGGTG GCCTTTCTAC AGAGCCTGGA GGGTGCGGTT 1680 GGTGCCCAGG CCCCATGCCC AGAAGTGCTG CCTGGTGTC 1719 324 base pairs nucleic acid double linear cDNA not provided 5 ACCACTACTG AGTGGGTTCA GATTGCCCAA ACCATAGAGA GACACTACGC ACAGTACCAG 60 GGCTTTGTTG TCATCCATGG CACAGACACC ATGGCCTTTG CTGCCTCAGT GCTCTCTTCC 120 ATGCTGGAAA ACCTGCAGAA ACCAGTCGTC CTCACGGGTG CCCAGGTACC TATCCACGCA 180 CTGTGGAGTG ACGGCCGTGA GAACCTGCTG GGGGCTCTGC TCATGGCTGG CCAATACGTC 240 ATCCCTGAGG TCTGCCTGTT CTTCCAGAAT CAGCTTTTCC GGGGCAATCG GACAACCAAG 300 GTGGACGCTC GGAGGTTTGC CGCC 324 565 amino acids amino acid single linear protein not provided 6 Met Ala Arg Ala Ser Gly Ser Glu Arg His Leu Leu Leu Ile Tyr Thr 1 5 10 15 Gly Gly Thr Leu Gly Met Gln Ser Lys Gly Gly Val Leu Val Pro Gly 20 25 30 Pro Gly Leu Val Thr Leu Leu Arg Thr Leu Pro Met Phe His Asp Lys 35 40 45 Glu Phe Ala Gln Ala Gln Gly Leu Pro Asp His Ala Leu Ala Leu Pro 50 55 60 Pro Ala Ser His Gly Pro Arg Val Leu Tyr Thr Val Leu Glu Cys Gln 65 70 75 80 Pro Leu Leu Asp Ser Ser Asp Met Thr Ile Asp Asp Trp Ile Arg Ile 85 90 95 Ala Lys Ile Ile Glu Arg His Tyr Glu Gln Tyr Gln Gly Phe Val Val 100 105 110 Ile His Gly Thr Asp Thr Met Ala Phe Gly Ala Ser Met Leu Ser Phe 115 120 125 Met Leu Glu Asn Leu His Lys Pro Val Ile Leu Thr Gly Ala Gln Val 130 135 140 Pro Ile Arg Val Leu Trp Asn Asp Ala Arg Glu Asn Leu Leu Gly Ala 145 150 155 160 Leu Leu Val Ala Gly Gln Tyr Ile Ile Pro Glu Val Cys Leu Phe Met 165 170 175 Asn Ser Gln Leu Phe Arg Gly Asn Arg Val Thr Lys Val Asp Ser Gln 180 185 190 Lys Phe Glu Ala Phe Cys Ser Pro Asn Leu Ser Pro Leu Ala Thr Val 195 200 205 Gly Ala Asp Val Thr Ile Ala Trp Asp Leu Val Arg Lys Val Asn Trp 210 215 220 Lys Asp Pro Leu Val Val His Ser Asn Met Glu His Asp Val Ala Leu 225 230 235 Leu Arg Leu Tyr Pro Gly Ile Pro Ala Ser Leu Val Arg Ala Phe Leu 240 245 250 Gln Pro Pro Leu Lys Gly Val Val Leu Glu Thr Phe Gly Ser Gly Asn 260 265 270 Gly Pro Ser Lys Pro Asp Leu Leu Gln Glu Leu Arg Ala Ala Ala Gln 275 280 285 Arg Gly Leu Ile Met Val Asn Cys Ser Gln Cys Leu Arg Gly Ser Val 290 295 300 Thr Pro Gly Tyr Ala Thr Ser Leu Ala Gly Ala Asn Ile Val Ser Gly 305 310 315 320 Leu Asp Met Thr Ser Glu Ala Ala Leu Ala Lys Leu Ser Tyr Val Leu 325 330 335 Gly Leu Pro Glu Leu Ser Leu Glu Arg Arg Gln Glu Leu Leu Ala Lys 340 345 350 Asp Leu Arg Gly Glu Met Thr Leu Pro Thr Ala Asp Leu His Gln Ser 355 360 365 Ser Pro Pro Gly Ser Thr Leu Gly Gln Gly Val Ala Arg Leu Phe Ser 370 375 380 Leu Phe Gly Cys Gln Glu Glu Asp Ser Val Gln Asp Ala Val Met Pro 385 390 395 400 Ser Leu Ala Leu Ala Leu Ala His Ala Gly Glu Leu Glu Ala Leu Gln 405 410 415 Ala Leu Met Glu Leu Gly Ser Asp Leu Arg Leu Lys Asp Ser Asn Gly 420 425 430 Gln Thr Leu Leu His Val Ala Ala Arg Asn Gly Arg Asp Gly Val Val 435 440 445 Thr Met Leu Leu His Arg Gly Met Asp Val Asn Ala Arg Asp Arg Asp 450 455 460 Gly Leu Ser Pro Leu Leu Leu Ala Val Gln Gly Arg His Arg Glu Cys 465 470 475 480 Ile Arg Leu Leu Arg Lys Ala Gly Ala Cys Leu Ser Pro Gln Asp Leu 485 490 495 Lys Asp Ala Gly Thr Glu Leu Cys Arg Leu Ala Ser Arg Ala Asp Met 500 505 510 Glu Gly Leu Gln Ala Trp Gly Gln Ala Gly Ala Asp Leu Gln Gln Pro 515 520 525 Gly Tyr Asp Gly Arg Ser Ala Leu Cys Val Ala Glu Ala Ala Gly Asn 530 535 540 Gln Glu Val Leu Ala Leu Leu Arg Asn Leu Ala Leu Val Gly Pro Glu 545 550 555 560 Val Pro Pro Ala Ile 565 573 amino acids amino acid single linear protein not provided 7 Met Ala Arg Ala Val Gly Pro Glu Arg Arg Leu Leu Ala Val Tyr Thr 1 5 10 15 Gly Gly Thr Ile Gly Met Arg Ser Glu Leu Gly Val Leu Val Pro Gly 20 25 30 Thr Gly Leu Ala Ala Ile Leu Arg Thr Leu Pro Met Phe His Asp Glu 35 40 45 Glu His Ala Arg Ala Arg Gly Leu Ser Glu Asp Thr Leu Val Leu Pro 50 55 60 Pro Asp Ser Arg Asn Gln Arg Ile Leu Tyr Thr Val Leu Glu Cys Gln 65 70 75 80 Pro Leu Phe Asp Ser Ser Asp Met Thr Ile Ala Glu Trp Val Arg Val 85 90 95 Ala Gln Thr Ile Lys Arg His Tyr Glu Gln Tyr His Gly Phe Val Val 100 105 110 Ile His Gly Thr Asp Thr Met Ala Phe Ala Ala Ser Met Leu Ser Phe 115 120 125 Met Leu Glu Asn Leu Gln Lys Thr Val Ile Leu Thr Gly Ala Gln Val 130 135 140 Pro Ile His Ala Leu Trp Ser Asp Gly Arg Glu Asn Leu Leu Gly Ala 145 150 155 160 Leu Leu Met Ala Gly Gln Tyr Val Ile Pro Glu Val Cys Leu Phe Phe 165 170 175 Gln Asn Gln Leu Phe Arg Gly Asn Arg Ala Thr Lys Val Asp Ala Arg 180 185 190 Arg Phe Ala Ala Phe Cys Ser Pro Asn Leu Leu Pro Leu Ala Thr Val 195 200 205 Gly Ala Asp Ile Thr Ile Asn Arg Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Val Asp Gly 210 215 220 Lys Ala Gly Leu Val Val His Ser Ser Met Glu Gln Asp Val Gly Leu 225 230 235 240 Leu Arg Leu Tyr Pro Gly Ile Pro Ala Ala Leu Val Arg Ala Phe Leu 245 250 255 Gln Pro Pro Leu Lys Gly Val Val Met Glu Thr Phe Gly Ser Gly Asn 260 265 270 Gly Pro Thr Lys Pro Asp Leu Leu Gln Glu Leu Arg Val Ala Thr Glu 275 280 285 Arg Gly Leu Val Ile Val Asn Cys Thr His Cys Leu Gln Gly Ala Val 290 295 300 Thr Thr Asp Tyr Ala Ala Gly Met Ala Met Ala Gly Ala Gly Val Ile 305 310 315 320 Ser Gly Phe Asp Met Thr Ser Glu Ala Ala Leu Ala Lys Leu Ser Tyr 325 330 335 Val Leu Gly Gln Pro Gly Leu Ser Leu Asp Val Arg Lys Glu Leu Leu 340 345 350 Thr Lys Asp Leu Arg Gly Glu Met Thr Pro Pro Ser Val Glu Glu Arg 355 360 365 Arg Pro Ser Leu Gln Gly Asn Thr Leu Gly Gly Gly Val Ser Trp Leu 370 375 380 Leu Ser Leu Ser Gly Ser Gln Glu Ala Asp Ala Leu Arg Asn Ala Leu 385 390 395 400 Val Pro Ser Leu Ala Cys Ala Ala Ala His Ala Gly Asp Val Glu Ala 405 410 415 Leu Gln Ala Leu Val Glu Leu Gly Ser Asp Leu Gly Leu Val Asp Phe 420 425 430 Asn Gly Gln Thr Pro Leu His Ala Ala Ala Arg Gly Gly His Thr Glu 435 440 445 Ala Val Thr Met Leu Leu Gln Arg Gly Val Asp Val Asn Thr Arg Asp 450 455 460 Thr Asp Gly Phe Ser Pro Leu Leu Leu Ala Val Arg Gly Arg His Pro 465 470 475 480 Gly Val Ile Gly Leu Leu Arg Glu Ala Gly Ala Ser Leu Ser Thr Gln 485 490 495 Glu Leu Glu Glu Ala Gly Thr Glu Leu Cys Arg Leu Ala Tyr Arg Ala 500 505 510 Asp Leu Glu Gly Leu Gln Val Trp Trp Gln Ala Gly Ala Asp Leu Gly 515 520 525 Gln Pro Gly Tyr Asp Gly His Ser Ala Leu His Val Ala Glu Ala Ala 530 535 540 Gly Asn Leu Ala Val Val Ala Phe Leu Gln Ser Leu Glu Gly Ala Val 545 550 555 560 Gly Ala Gln Ala Pro Cys Pro Glu Val Leu Pro Gly Val 565 570 108 amino acids amino acid single linear protein not provided 8 Thr Thr Thr Glu Trp Val Gln Ile Ala Gln Thr Ile Glu Arg His Tyr 1 5 10 15 Ala Gln Tyr Gln Gly Phe Val Val Ile His Gly Thr Asp Thr Met Ala 20 25 30 Phe Ala Ala Ser Val Leu Ser Ser Met Leu Glu Asn Leu Gln Lys Pro 35 40 45 Val Val Leu Thr Gly Ala Gln Val Pro Ile His Ala Leu Trp Ser Asp 50 55 60 Gly Arg Glu Asn Leu Leu Gly Ala Leu Leu Met Ala Gly Gln Tyr Val 65 70 75 80 Ile Pro Glu Val Cys Leu Phe Phe Gln Asn Gln Leu Phe Arg Gly Asn 85 90 95 Arg Thr Thr Lys Val Asp Ala Arg Arg Phe Ala Ala 100 105 1928 base pairs nucleic acid double linear cDNA not provided CDS 20..1714 9 GAGTGGCTTA GCCGCAGGC ATG GCG CGC GCA TCA GGC TCC GAG AGG CAC CTG 52 Met Ala Arg Ala Ser Gly Ser Glu Arg His Leu 1 5 10 CTG CTC ATC TAC ACT GGC GGC ACT TTG GGC ATG CAG AGC AAG GGC GGG 100 Leu Leu Ile Tyr Thr Gly Gly Thr Leu Gly Met Gln Ser Lys Gly Gly 15 20 25 GTG CTC GTC CCC GGC CCA GGC CTG GTC ACT CTG CTG CGG ACC CTG CCC 148 Val Leu Val Pro Gly Pro Gly Leu Val Thr Leu Leu Arg Thr Leu Pro 30 35 40 ATG TTC CAT GAC AAG GAG TTC GCC CAG GCC CAG GGC CTC CCT GAC CAT 196 Met Phe His Asp Lys Glu Phe Ala Gln Ala Gln Gly Leu Pro Asp His 45 50 55 GCT CTG GCG CTG CCC CCT GCC AGC CAC GGC CCC AGG GTC CTC TAC ACG 244 Ala Leu Ala Leu Pro Pro Ala Ser His Gly Pro Arg Val Leu Tyr Thr 60 65 70 75 GTG CTG GAG TGC CAG CCC CTC TTG GAT TCC AGC GAC ATG ACC ATC GAT 292 Val Leu Glu Cys Gln Pro Leu Leu Asp Ser Ser Asp Met Thr Ile Asp 80 85 90 GAT TGG ATT CGC ATA GCC AAG ATC ATA GAG AGG CAC TAT GAG CAG TAC 340 Asp Trp Ile Arg Ile Ala Lys Ile Ile Glu Arg His Tyr Glu Gln Tyr 95 100 105 CAA GGC TTT GTG GTT ATC CAC GGC ACC GAC ACC ATG GCC TTT GGG GCC 388 Gln Gly Phe Val Val Ile His Gly Thr Asp Thr Met Ala Phe Gly Ala 110 115 120 TCC ATG CTG TCC TTC ATG CTG GAA AAC CTG CAC AAA CCA GTC ATC CTC 436 Ser Met Leu Ser Phe Met Leu Glu Asn Leu His Lys Pro Val Ile Leu 125 130 135 ACT GGC GCC CAG GTG CCA ATC CGT GTG CTG TGG AAT GAC GCC CGG GAA 484 Thr Gly Ala Gln Val Pro Ile Arg Val Leu Trp Asn Asp Ala Arg Glu 140 145 150 155 AAC CTG CTG GGG GCG TTG CTT GTG GCC GGC CAA TAC ATC ATC CCT GAG 532 Asn Leu Leu Gly Ala Leu Leu Val Ala Gly Gln Tyr Ile Ile Pro Glu 160 165 170 GTC TGC CTG TTT ATG AAC AGT CAG CTG TTT CGG GGA AAC CGG GTA ACC 580 Val Cys Leu Phe Met Asn Ser Gln Leu Phe Arg Gly Asn Arg Val Thr 175 180 185 AAG GTG GAC TCC CAG AAG TTT GAG GCC TTC TGC TCC CCC AAT CTG TCC 628 Lys Val Asp Ser Gln Lys Phe Glu Ala Phe Cys Ser Pro Asn Leu Ser 190 195 200 CCA CTA GCC ACT GTG GGC GCG GAT GTC ACA ATT GCC TGG GAC CTG GTG 676 Pro Leu Ala Thr Val Gly Ala Asp Val Thr Ile Ala Trp Asp Leu Val 205 210 215 CGC AAG GTC AAC TGG AAG GAC CCG CTG GTG GTG CAC AGC AAC ATG GAG 724 Arg Lys Val Asn Trp Lys Asp Pro Leu Val Val His Ser Asn Met Glu 220 225 230 235 CAC GAC GTG GCA CTG CTG CGC CTC TAC CCT GGC ATC CCG GCC TCC CTG 772 His Asp Val Ala Leu Leu Arg Leu Tyr Pro Gly Ile Pro Ala Ser Leu 240 245 250 GTC CGG GCA TTC CTG CAG CCC CCG CTC AAG GGC GTG GTC CTG GAG ACC 820 Val Arg Ala Phe Leu Gln Pro Pro Leu Lys Gly Val Val Leu Glu Thr 255 260 265 TTC GGC TCT GGC AAC GGG CCG AGC AAG CCC GAC CTG CTG CAG GAG TTG 868 Phe Gly Ser Gly Asn Gly Pro Ser Lys Pro Asp Leu Leu Gln Glu Leu 270 275 280 CGG GCC GCG GCC CAG CGC GGC CTC ATC ATG GTC AAC TGC AGC CAG TGC 916 Arg Ala Ala Ala Gln Arg Gly Leu Ile Met Val Asn Cys Ser Gln Cys 285 290 295 CTG CGG GGG TCT GTG ACC CCG GGC TAT GCC ACG AGC TTG GCG GGC GCC 964 Leu Arg Gly Ser Val Thr Pro Gly Tyr Ala Thr Ser Leu Ala Gly Ala 300 305 310 315 AAC ATC GTG TCC GGC TTA GAC ATG ACC TCA GAG GCC GCG CTG GCT AAG 1012 Asn Ile Val Ser Gly Leu Asp Met Thr Ser Glu Ala Ala Leu Ala Lys 320 325 330 CTG TCC TAC GTG TTG GGC CTG CCG GAG CTG AGC CTG GAG CGC AGG CAG 1060 Leu Ser Tyr Val Leu Gly Leu Pro Glu Leu Ser Leu Glu Arg Arg Gln 335 340 345 GAG CTG CTG GCC AAG GAT CTT CGC GGG GAA ATG ACA CTG CCC ACG GCA 1108 Glu Leu Leu Ala Lys Asp Leu Arg Gly Glu Met Thr Leu Pro Thr Ala 350 355 360 GAC CTG CAC CAG TCC TCT CCG CCG GGC AGC ACA CTG GGG CAA GGT GTC 1156 Asp Leu His Gln Ser Ser Pro Pro Gly Ser Thr Leu Gly Gln Gly Val 365 370 375 GCC CGG CTC TTT AGT CTG TTC GGT TGC CAG GAG GAA GAT TCG GTG CAG 1204 Ala Arg Leu Phe Ser Leu Phe Gly Cys Gln Glu Glu Asp Ser Val Gln 380 385 390 395 GAC GCC GTG ATG CCC AGC CTG GCC CTG GCC TTG GCC CAT GCT GGT GAA 1252 Asp Ala Val Met Pro Ser Leu Ala Leu Ala Leu Ala His Ala Gly Glu 400 405 410 CTC GAG GCT CTG CAG GCA CTT ATG GAG CTG GGC AGT GAC CTG CGC CTA 1300 Leu Glu Ala Leu Gln Ala Leu Met Glu Leu Gly Ser Asp Leu Arg Leu 415 420 425 AAG GAC TCT AAT GGC CAA ACC CTG TTG CAT GTG GCT GCT CGG AAT GGG 1348 Lys Asp Ser Asn Gly Gln Thr Leu Leu His Val Ala Ala Arg Asn Gly 430 435 440 CGT GAT GGC GTG GTC ACC ATG CTG CTG CAC AGA GGC ATG GAT GTC AAT 1396 Arg Asp Gly Val Val Thr Met Leu Leu His Arg Gly Met Asp Val Asn 445 450 455 GCC CGA GAC CGA GAC GGC CTC AGC CCA CTG CTG TTG GCT GTA CAG GGC 1444 Ala Arg Asp Arg Asp Gly Leu Ser Pro Leu Leu Leu Ala Val Gln Gly 460 465 470 475 AGG CAT CGG GAA TGC ATC AGG CTG CTG CGG AAG GCT GGG GCC TGC CTG 1492 Arg His Arg Glu Cys Ile Arg Leu Leu Arg Lys Ala Gly Ala Cys Leu 480 485 490 TCC CCC CAG GAC CTG AAG GAT GCA GGG ACC GAG CTG TGC AGG CTG GCA 1540 Ser Pro Gln Asp Leu Lys Asp Ala Gly Thr Glu Leu Cys Arg Leu Ala 495 500 505 TCC AGG GCT GAC ATG GAA GGC CTG CAG GCA TGG GGG CAG GCT GGG GCC 1588 Ser Arg Ala Asp Met Glu Gly Leu Gln Ala Trp Gly Gln Ala Gly Ala 510 515 520 GAC CTG CAG CAG CCG GGC TAT GAT GGG CGC AGC GCT CTG TGT GTC GCA 1636 Asp Leu Gln Gln Pro Gly Tyr Asp Gly Arg Ser Ala Leu Cys Val Ala 525 530 535 GAA GCA GCC GGG AAC CAG GAG GTG CTG GCC CTT CTG CGG AAC CTG GCA 1684 Glu Ala Ala Gly Asn Gln Glu Val Leu Ala Leu Leu Arg Asn Leu Ala 540 545 550 555 CTT GTA GGC CCG GAA GTG CCG CCT GCC ATC TGATCGCCAG CAATCCCGCT 1734 Leu Val Gly Pro Glu Val Pro Pro Ala Ile 560 565 GTGGTGTGAG CCACTCCGCC ATCTGCTGCT TTGACCCACT CGAGGGACCC TAGCACACGA 1794 CCCCCCAGCA GGATGCACCC CACTACTTAG AGTATACCCC AGGCTGGCTC AGTGACAAGC 1854 TGCAAAGGTC TTTGTTGGCA GAACAGCAAT AAAGTAACTA CAGAGTGGCC AAAAAAAAAA 1914 AAAAAAAAAA AAAA 1928 2096 base pairs nucleic acid double linear cDNA not provided CDS 20..1714 10 CGCCCCGGGC CTCCTCCGCG CAGTCCCTGA GTCCCGCAGG CCCTGCGTCC CCGCTGCACA 60 CCCCCGTCCA CTCCCGTGGT CCCCGGTCCG GC ATG GCG CGC GCG GTG GGG CCC 113 Met Ala Arg Ala Val Gly Pro 1 5 GAG CGG AGG CTG CTG GCC GTC TAC ACC GGC GGC ACC ATT GGC ATG CGG 161 Glu Arg Arg Leu Leu Ala Val Tyr Thr Gly Gly Thr Ile Gly Met Arg 10 15 20 AGT GAG CTC GGC GTG CTT GTG CCC GGG ACG GGC CTG GCT GCC ATC CTG 209 Ser Glu Leu Gly Val Leu Val Pro Gly Thr Gly Leu Ala Ala Ile Leu 25 30 35 AGG ACA CTG CCC ATG TTC CAT GAC GAG GAG CAC GCC CGA GCC CGC GGC 257 Arg Thr Leu Pro Met Phe His Asp Glu Glu His Ala Arg Ala Arg Gly 40 45 50 55 CTC TCT GAG GAC ACC CTG GTG CTA CCC CCG GAC AGC CGC AAC CAG AGG 305 Leu Ser Glu Asp Thr Leu Val Leu Pro Pro Asp Ser Arg Asn Gln Arg 60 65 70 ATC CTC TAC ACC GTG CTG GAG TGC CAG CCC CTC TTC GAC TCC AGT GAC 353 Ile Leu Tyr Thr Val Leu Glu Cys Gln Pro Leu Phe Asp Ser Ser Asp 75 80 85 ATG ACC ATC GCT GAG TGG GTT CGC GTT GCC CAG ACC ATC AAG AGG CAC 401 Met Thr Ile Ala Glu Trp Val Arg Val Ala Gln Thr Ile Lys Arg His 90 95 100 TAC GAG CAG TAC CAC GGC TTT GTG GTC ATC CAC GGC ACC GAC ACC ATG 449 Tyr Glu Gln Tyr His Gly Phe Val Val Ile His Gly Thr Asp Thr Met 105 110 115 GCC TTT GCT GCC TCG ATG CTG TCC TTC ATG CTG GAG AAC CTG CAG AAG 497 Ala Phe Ala Ala Ser Met Leu Ser Phe Met Leu Glu Asn Leu Gln Lys 120 125 130 135 ACT GTC ATC CTC ACT GGG GCC CAG GTG CCC ATC CAT GCC CTG TGG AGC 545 Thr Val Ile Leu Thr Gly Ala Gln Val Pro Ile His Ala Leu Trp Ser 140 145 150 GAC GGC CGT GAG AAC CTG CTG GGG GCA CTG CTC ATG GCT GGC CAG TAT 593 Asp Gly Arg Glu Asn Leu Leu Gly Ala Leu Leu Met Ala Gly Gln Tyr 155 160 165 GTG ATC CCA GAG GTC TGC CTT TTC TTC CAG AAT CAG CTG TTT CGG GGC 641 Val Ile Pro Glu Val Cys Leu Phe Phe Gln Asn Gln Leu Phe Arg Gly 170 175 180 AAC CGG GCA ACC AAG GTA GAC GCT CGG AGG TTC GCA GCT TTC TGC TCC 689 Asn Arg Ala Thr Lys Val Asp Ala Arg Arg Phe Ala Ala Phe Cys Ser 185 190 195 CCG AAC CTG CTG CCT CTG GCC ACA GTG GGT GCT GAC ATC ACA ATC AAC 737 Pro Asn Leu Leu Pro Leu Ala Thr Val Gly Ala Asp Ile Thr Ile Asn 200 205 210 215 AGG GAG CTG GTG CGG AAG GTG GAC GGG AAG GCT GGG CTG GTG GTG CAC 785 Arg Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Val Asp Gly Lys Ala Gly Leu Val Val His 220 225 230 AGC AGC ATG GAG CAG GAC GTG GGC CTG CTG CGC CTC TAC CCT GGG ATC 833 Ser Ser Met Glu Gln Asp Val Gly Leu Leu Arg Leu Tyr Pro Gly Ile 235 240 245 CCT GCC GCC CTG GTT CGG GCC TTC TTG CAG CCT CCC CTG AAG GGC GTG 881 Pro Ala Ala Leu Val Arg Ala Phe Leu Gln Pro Pro Leu Lys Gly Val 250 255 260 GTC ATG GAG ACC TTC GGT TCA GGG AAC GGA CCC ACC AAG CCC GAC CTG 929 Val Met Glu Thr Phe Gly Ser Gly Asn Gly Pro Thr Lys Pro Asp Leu 265 270 275 CTG CAG GAG CTG CGG GTG GCC ACC GAG CGC GGC CTG GTC ATC GTC AAC 977 Leu Gln Glu Leu Arg Val Ala Thr Glu Arg Gly Leu Val Ile Val Asn 280 285 290 295 TGT ACC CAC TGC CTC CAG GGG GCT GTG ACC ACA GAC TAT GCA GCT GGC 1025 Cys Thr His Cys Leu Gln Gly Ala Val Thr Thr Asp Tyr Ala Ala Gly 300 305 310 ATG GCC ATG GCG GGA GCC GGC GTC ATC TCA GGC TTC GAC ATG ACA TCG 1073 Met Ala Met Ala Gly Ala Gly Val Ile Ser Gly Phe Asp Met Thr Ser 315 320 325 GAG GCC GCC CTG GCC AAG CTA TCG TAT GTG CTG GGC CAG CCA GGG CTG 1121 Glu Ala Ala Leu Ala Lys Leu Ser Tyr Val Leu Gly Gln Pro Gly Leu 330 335 340 AGC CTG GAT GTC AGG AAG GAG CTG CTG ACC AAG GAC CTT CGG GGG GAG 1169 Ser Leu Asp Val Arg Lys Glu Leu Leu Thr Lys Asp Leu Arg Gly Glu 345 350 355 ATG ACG CCA CCC TCG GTG GAA GAG CGC CGG CCC TCA CTG CAG GGC AAC 1217 Met Thr Pro Pro Ser Val Glu Glu Arg Arg Pro Ser Leu Gln Gly Asn 360 365 370 375 ACG CTG GGC GGT GGG GTC TCC TGG CTC CTC AGT CTG AGC GGC AGC CAG 1265 Thr Leu Gly Gly Gly Val Ser Trp Leu Leu Ser Leu Ser Gly Ser Gln 380 385 390 GAG GCA GAT GCC CTG CGG AAT GCC CTG GTG CCC AGC CTG GCC TGT GCT 1313 Glu Ala Asp Ala Leu Arg Asn Ala Leu Val Pro Ser Leu Ala Cys Ala 395 400 405 GCT GCC CAC GCC GGT GAC GTG GAG GCG CTG CAG GCG CTT GTG GAG CTG 1361 Ala Ala His Ala Gly Asp Val Glu Ala Leu Gln Ala Leu Val Glu Leu 410 415 420 GGC AGT GAC CTG GGC CTG GTG GAC TTT AAC GGC CAA ACC CCA CTG CAC 1409 Gly Ser Asp Leu Gly Leu Val Asp Phe Asn Gly Gln Thr Pro Leu His 425 430 435 GCG GCC GCC CGG GGA GGC CAC ACA GAG GCA GTC ACC ATG CTG CTG CAG 1457 Ala Ala Ala Arg Gly Gly His Thr Glu Ala Val Thr Met Leu Leu Gln 440 445 450 455 AGA GGT GTG GAC GTG AAC ACC CGG GAC ACG GAT GGC TTC AGC CCG CTG 1505 Arg Gly Val Asp Val Asn Thr Arg Asp Thr Asp Gly Phe Ser Pro Leu 460 465 470 CTG CTG GCC GTG CGG GGC AGG CAT CCG GGT GTC ATT GGG TTG CTG CGG 1553 Leu Leu Ala Val Arg Gly Arg His Pro Gly Val Ile Gly Leu Leu Arg 475 480 485 GAA GCC GGG GCC TCC CTG TCC ACC CAG GAG CTG GAG GAA GCA GGG ACG 1601 Glu Ala Gly Ala Ser Leu Ser Thr Gln Glu Leu Glu Glu Ala Gly Thr 490 495 500 GAG CTG TGC AGG CTG GCA TAC AGG GCC GAC CTC GAA GGC CTG CAG GTG 1649 Glu Leu Cys Arg Leu Ala Tyr Arg Ala Asp Leu Glu Gly Leu Gln Val 505 510 515 TGG TGG CAG GCA GGG GCT GAC CTG GGG CAG CCG GGC TAT GAC GGG CAC 1697 Trp Trp Gln Ala Gly Ala Asp Leu Gly Gln Pro Gly Tyr Asp Gly His 520 525 530 535 AGC GCC CTG CAC GTC GCA GAG GCA GCC GGG AAC CTG GCA GTG GTG GCC 1745 Ser Ala Leu His Val Ala Glu Ala Ala Gly Asn Leu Ala Val Val Ala 540 545 550 TTT CTA CAG AGC CTG GAG GGT GCG GTT GGT GCC CAG GCC CCA TGC CCA 1793 Phe Leu Gln Ser Leu Glu Gly Ala Val Gly Ala Gln Ala Pro Cys Pro 555 560 565 GAA GTG CTG CCT GGT GTC TAACCTGAAG GCGTCCTGCT GCAGTATAAG 1841 Glu Val Leu Pro Gly Val 570 CCATTCCTTC CTCCCATGAC CTGCTGGAGG GGTCTCAGGC ATGACCCCAC TGCTGGGGCT 1901 GCTTCCCAGC CTGCTCTCAT GTAAAGCCTG AAGGCCTTTG TTGGGCAGGA CGGCAATAAA 1961 GTCTCTGACA TCCCCTCACC AGGTCTGTAC AGCCTGGCTC TGAGAGGCTC TGTCTGGGTC 2021 CGGGACTGTG AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA 2081 AAAAAAAAAA AAAAA 2096 11 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide not provided 11 Leu Tyr Pro Gly Ile Pro Ala Ser Leu Val Arg 1 5 10 16 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide not provided 12 His Leu Leu Leu Ile Tyr Thr Gly Gly Thr Leu Gly Met Gln Ser Lys 1 5 10 15 9 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide not provided 13 Ser Phe Met Leu Glu Asn Leu His Lys 1 5 324 base pairs nucleic acid double linear cDNA not provided 14 ACC ACT ACT GAG TGG GTT CAG ATT GCC CAA ACC ATA GAG AGA CAC TAC 48 Thr Thr Thr Glu Trp Val Gln Ile Ala Gln Thr Ile Glu Arg His Tyr 1 5 10 15 GCA CAG TAC CAG GGC TTT GTT GTC ATC CAT GGC ACA GAC ACC ATG GCC 96 Ala Gln Tyr Gln Gly Phe Val Val Ile His Gly Thr Asp Thr Met Ala 20 25 30 TTT GCT GCC TCA GTG CTC TCT TCC ATG CTG GAA AAC CTG CAG AAA CCA 144 Phe Ala Ala Ser Val Leu Ser Ser Met Leu Glu Asn Leu Gln Lys Pro 35 40 45 GTC GTC CTC ACG GGT GCC CAG GTA CCT ATC CAC GCA CTG TGG AGT GAC 192 Val Val Leu Thr Gly Ala Gln Val Pro Ile His Ala Leu Trp Ser Asp 50 55 60 GGC CGT GAG AAC CTG CTG GGG GCT CTG CTC ATG GCT GGC CAA TAC GTC 240 Gly Arg Glu Asn Leu Leu Gly Ala Leu Leu Met Ala Gly Gln Tyr Val 65 70 75 80 ATC CCT GAG GTC TGC CTG TTC TTC CAG AAT CAG CTT TTC CGG GGC AAT 288 Ile Pro Glu Val Cys Leu Phe Phe Gln Asn Gln Leu Phe Arg Gly Asn 85 90 95 CGG ACA ACC AAG GTG GAC GCT CGG AGG TTT GCC GCC 324 Arg Thr Thr Lys Val Asp Ala Arg Arg Phe Ala Ala 100 105 15 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 15 GGNATGCARW SNAAR 15 17 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 16 GCNGGDATNC CNGGRTA 17 17 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 17 TTYATGYTNG ARAAYYT 17 18 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 18 TTCGACTCCA GTGACATG 18 18 base pairs nucleic acid single linear not provided 19 CAGGTTCGGG GAGCAGAA 18 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated DNA encoding for mammalian L-asparaginase, which comprises nucleotide sequences encoding for either or both the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 and 2, and which is hybridizable to any of the nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOs:3 to 5 at 42° C. in a solution of 5 ×SSPE, 5×Denhardts solution, 0.5 w/v% SDS, and 100 μg/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA, wherein said mammalian L-asparaginase has an amino acid sequence having at least 70% of its residues identical to the corresponding residues of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7.
 2. The isolated DNA according to claim 1, which comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:6 to
 8. 3. The isolated DNA according to claim 1, wherein, based on the degeneracy of the genetic code, one or more nucleotides in a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:3, 4, 5, 9 and 10 are replaced with different nucleotides without altering the encoded amino acid sequences.
 4. The isolated DNA according to claim 1, which encodes a human, guinea pig or mouse L-asparaginase.
 5. A recombinant vector comprising the isolated DNA of claim
 1. 6. A host cell transformed with the recombinant vector of claim
 5. 7. A method for producing a mammalian L-asparaginase, comprising the steps of: transforming a host cell with a DNA in accordance with claim 1 in a manner such that said transformed host cell can produce a mammalian L-asparaginase intracellularly or extracelluarly when cultured; culturing said transformed host cell to produce said mammalian L-asparaginase; and recovering said produced mammalian L-asparaginase. 